"That's Rubbish...": Rajasthan Royals' Plan For Rs 11 Crore Star Blasted After Loss Against KKR

Rajasthan Royals slumped to their second defeat in IPL 2025 as they were completely outplayed by Kolkata Knight Riders in Guwahati on Wednesday. RR batters once again failed to impress as they are currently at the bottom of the points table after the defeat. Former New Zealand fast bowler Simon Doull blasted Rs 11 crore retainee Shimron Hetmyer and questioned the decision to send the West Indian batter at No. 8. Doull pointed out that the player was paid big money for his batting abilities and even pointed out that he has batted as high as No 3 and No 4 in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL).

"Why are you protecting Hetmyer? What was the money they retained him for? 11 crore. He batted number eight. He bats at three or four in Guyana. You can get pigeonholed into a position where, 'Oh, he's a finisher,' but that's rubbish. He's a batter, and you're sort of using your resources before you need to by sending in your impact sub. So some really poor planning from Rajasthan in the first couple of games. Actually, it's been some. Some different strategies and decisions that I haven't agreed with at all," Doull said during his analysis on Cricbuzz.

"What if Hetmyer comes out at 5 or 6, gets some runs, and partners with Dhruv Jurel? Suddenly, you don't need Dubey...nine from 12 is not an impact. And then Archer comes in and gets those sixes. So you can actually use Hetmyer and Archer before using your impact sub as a batter. That will allow you to bring your other spin bowler in," he said.

Quinton de Kock struck a magnificent 97 not out on a tacky Barsapara wicket, anchoring Kolkata Knight Riders' chase to perfection as they secured a dominant eight-wicket win against Rajasthan Royals in their IPL clash on Wednesday.

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